Corn husker and sheller



June 22 1926.

J. B. SAGAN com: HUSKER AND SHELLER Filed Dec. 12, 1923 4'Sheets-Sheet 1 'INVENTUR Joseph B 541942.17

his mzar 7199 June 22 1926. 1,589,568 J. B. SAGAN CORN HUSKER AND SHELLER Filed Dec. 12, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I u l FIG. 2.

INVENTUR J05 eph 3. 54 m? June 22 1926.

J. B. SAGAN CORN HUSKER AND SHELLER Filed Dec. 12; 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 0 mZh INVENTUR Joseph. :5 542.9177 I bl, 22%W This rod is unaffected by movement of the push rod except when the latter approaches the limit of its downward stroke. In such general position of the parts, the hook 25 of the rod is engaged by the yoke 8 to depress the short end of the lever 21 against the resistance of spring 24c and elevate the opposite end of the rod to tilt the disk 12 into the position shown in Figure 5. Arranged as a vertical continuation of push rod 6 is a vertical rod 26, which extends upwardly through the roof 13 of the superstructure. This vertical rod 26 carries rollers 27 arranged to bear against a cam plate carried by the rods 29 of a horizontally movable slide member 30. This slide member 30 comprises a plate 31 arranged in one position of the slide to close the orifice 32 at the lower extremity of the hopper 3. A coiled spring33 is arranged to bear against the slide-member 30 to resist the action of rollers 27 on cam plate 28. The action of rod 26 serves to force the closure plate 31 to one side to open orifice 32 during upward movement of the push rod 6 and husking and shelling head 5, while the force exerted by spring 33 during the downward movement of push rod 6 and husking head 5 causes the plate 31 to close the orifice 32.

Figure 3 of the drawings illustrates particularly the operation of the rear set of push rods 6, which are shown as four in number and for the sake of convenience are designated in this figure by thedistinctive reference numerals 6, 6, 5", and 6. Each of the push rods is connected with a crank shaft 3st by means of connecting rods 36. The arms 37 of crank shaft 34 are preferably so arranged that all of the push rods and husking heads are not simultaneously in the same position. Thus, the push rod 6 is shown at the lower limit of its stroke, the push rod 6 at the upper limit of its stroke, and the intermediate push rods 6 and 6 in an intermediate position. The forward crank shaft 38 of the machine, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, is driven by means of a crossed belt 39 which passes over a pulley 40 on the crank shaft and a pulley 1-1 on a counter shaft 42. Counter shaft 42 is driven by means of a belt 45 which passes over a pulley 4 f on the counter shaft and a pulley 45 on the drive shaft 46 of the truck. The rear crank shaft 34, shown in Figure 30f the drawings, is driven by means of a belt 48, which passes over a pulley 49 on the forward crankshaft 38 and over a pulley 50 on the rearward crankshaft. I

The belt conveyor l for carrying the unhusked and unshelled ears of corn to the top of superstructurel is driven by means of a belt '51, which passes over .a pulley 52 on a shaft 53 mounted in outboard bearings 54: and over a pulley 55 on the shaft 56 of the conveyor. Pulley 52 is driven by means of a belt 57 passing over a pulley 58 on the countershaft 12 of the machine. Associated with the belt conveyor 4 is an endless belt oi'inovable table 59, carried by rollers ('50. The shaft 61 of one of such rollers is extended, and carries a pulley 62 connected by means of a belt 63 with a pulley (i l on the shaft 55 of the belt conveyor 1. This arrangement not only conducts the ears of corn tobe hushed and shelled to the top of superstructure 1 but also carries them along between the rows of hoppers S in convenient position for their removal and insertion in the hoppers.

In use of the machine, the ears of corn taken from the belt 59 are placed in the hoppers 3. As the push rod 6 associated with each of the hoppers reaches the limit of its upward stroke,'the closure plate 31 associated with such hopper is moved to one side in the manner previously described to open the orifice 32 at the bottom of the hopper. In this position of the husking head 5, as illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings, the arms 9 of the head are open, and the disk 12 is in position to prevent the ear of corn from falling through the head.

As the push rod 6 moves downwardly springs 9 in the arms 9 grip the husk of an ear of corn and support it in vertical posi tion. The husk of the ear is thus drawn oli, and the grains of corn worked from the cob, by the action of the arms 9 in closing in on the ear and being drawn downwardly along the same, it being understood that the ear of corn itself is held from vertical movement by the disk 12 on which it rests, and from lateral movement by springs 9. The gripping action of the arms 9 on the ear of corn in the husking and shelling head is accentuated by means of the teeth 9 on the interior face of each of the arms.

It may be found that the husks of any lot of corn being husked and shelled are sufficiently green and tough to prevent ready stripping of the husks from the butt of the v ear. In such case the butt may be severed from the remainder of the ear by striking it against a knife edge prior to the introduction of the ear into one of the hoppers 3. In these circumstances t e stripping of the husk may be readily effected by the action of the arms 9, such action taking the place of several manual movements in the actual stripping of the husks.

As the push rod 6 and bushing and shelling head 5 approach the limit of their downward stroke, the tilting of the disk 12 permits the grains of corn, together with the husks and cob to fall downwardly into a hopper 65, which directs them to a coarse screen 66.

It should be noted that the resilient means in the husking and shelling heads for gripping the ears of corn permit each head to grip undersize-eai's firmly, and prevent damto the mechanism by the insertion. of oversize ears.

Screen 66 isinclined transversely of the machine, and is associated with a similarly inclined screen 67 of somewhat finer mesh, these screens each being secured respectively to rods 68 and 69 which are mounted respectively in the opposite extremity of the lever arms 71, both of which are centrally pivoted at 71.

The operating connections for the screens comprises a shortcrank shaft 72, which is mounted in the out-board bearings 73, and which has thereon a pulley 74 connected by a belt 75 .with a pulley 76 on a shaft 77, which is mounted in outboard bearings 78. Shaft 77 also carries a pulley 79, which is connected by means of a belt 80 wit-l1 a pulley 81 on the countershaft 42.

The crankshaft 72 is connected with the lower arm of the pivoted lever 71, or rather to the rod 69 connected. therewith, by means of connecting rods 82.

()n the shaft 7'? are fans 83, which serve to carry husks along the inclined surface of the coarse screen 66'to a discharge spout 67.

In the operation of these features of the mechanism, the inclined Screens 66 and 67 are continuously agitated, to effect a thorough separation of the grains of corn from the husks and cobs which have also fallen onto the screens. The husks will be blown outwardly to the discharge spout 67 by means of the fans 83, while the cobs will roll along the inclined surface of the screens to the same outlet.

The grains of corn, thus separated from the husks and cobs flow to an inclined shoot or hopper 84, from which they pass for collection to a discharge orifice 85. Such discharge orifice may desirably be provided, as is shown in Figure l of the drawings, with a ciosure plate 86 operated by a handle 87.

The above mechanism is capable of husking and shelling a great number of ears of corn in a very short space of time. It is self contained, inasmuch as it is operated by the power of the truck upon which the bushing and shelling mechanism is mounted. It can thus be moved from place to place throughout a large district of country during the corn harvesting season, thus making the machine extremely practical from a commercial view point in spite of the necessarily great expense involved by the details of its structure.

As the device of the present invention is susceptible of numerous modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the invention is to be re stricted only by the illustrations contained in the appended claims.

lV-hat I claim is:

In a corn lin ker and sheller the com bination of a push rod, means for actuating said push rod in a straight line, a bushing and shelling headcomprising a plurality of hinged arms carried by said push rod,- and stationary means arranged to act upon said In a cornhus ier and sheller the comhination of a liusliin and shelling head comprising a plurality of hinged arms-and mounted for movement in a straight line, means for producing such movement of said huslring and shelling head, and stationary means arranged to act upon said bushing and shelling head during movement thereof to open and close said. arms and to produce the husking and shellin action of said head.

3. In a corn husker and sheller the combination of a bushing and shelling head comprising a plurality of hinged arms having cam surfaces thereon, means for producing movement of said husking and shelling head in a straight line, and rollers arranged to bear upon the cam surfaces on said arms to open and close said arms'during movement of the head. V

4:. In a corn huslter and sheller the combination of a huslring and shelling head comprising a plurality of hinged arms having cam surfaces thereon, actuating means for moving said bushing and shelling head in a straight line, stationary means arranged to act upon said huslring and shelling head during movement thereof to open and close said arms, means for supplying ears of corn to said bushing and shelling head, and means operated by the actuating means ofsaid head for opening and closingcommunication between said supplying means and said huslring and shelling head.

5. In a corn huslrer and sheller a bushing and shelling head having hinged arms, actuating means for said head comprising means for producing rectilinear movement thereof and means for opening and closing said ill!) arms, means for supplying ears of corn to said. bushing and shelling head, and means operated by said actuating means for open ing and closing communication between said supplying means and said husking and shelling head. g

6. In a corn husher and sheller a husking and shelling head having hinged arms, actuating means for said head comprising means for producing rectilinear movement thereof and for opening and closing said arms, a rotatably mounted bottom closure for said head, and means operated by the actuating means of said head for rotating said bottom closure.

7. In a corn huslrer and sheller a hashing a ds elling having i g d arias ating means for said head comprising means for producing rectilinear movement thereof and for opening and closing said arms, a rotat-ably mounted bottom closure for said 6 head, means operated by the actuating means of said head for rotating said bottom closure, means for supplying ears of corn to said husking and shelling head, and means operated by said actuating means for opening and closing communication between said supplying means and said husking and shelling head.

8. In a corn husker and sheller a husking and shelling head having hinged arms, actuating means for said head comprising means for producin rectilinear movement thereof and means for opening and closing said arms, means for supplying ears of corn to said bushing and shelling head, means operated by said actuating means for opening and closing con'imu'nication between said supplying means and said husking and shelling head, and means for separating husks and cobs from grain shelled by said head comprising an inclined screen and means for creating a current of air along said screen.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH B. SAGAN. 

